Vajpayee memorial inaugurated; Kovind, Modi offer floral tributes

New Delhi: Sadaiv Atal, a memorial of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was dedicated to the nation Tuesday on his 94th birth anniversary.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the dignitaries who paid floral tributes to the former statesman at the memorial built near the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, where his mortal remains were consigned to flames on August 17.

Vajpayee passed away on August 16 after a prolonged illness.

He was cremated with full state honours.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and family members of Vajpayee also offered flowers at the lotus-shaped memorial.

Sadaiv (always) Atal memorial will be managed by a trust headed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

"Tributes to Atal Ji on his Jayanti. We reiterate our commitment towards creating the India he dreamt of," Modi tweeted Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that a statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be erected in Patna and the location will be decided shortly.